Cloudy skies returned on Wednesday, 8 May 2019. Had 0.05" rain Saturday night, 11 May, and another 0.02" on Sunday, 12 May. Monday, 13 May, dawned clear but turned partly cloudy mid-day.

Open: Monday, 13 May 2019, 1817 MST Temperature: 90°F

Session: 1351 Conditions: Partly cloudy

Equipment Used:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 30mm eyepiece
2" 4X Powermate

Camera:
iPhone 8 Plus

After opening the observatory I SYNCed the observatory clock to WWV time signals.

1824 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed the Moon, 102X and 81X.

As the Moon was the only object I would be observing this night I set the telescope Tracking Rate to Lunar.

1855 MST: a storm to the north was getting closer, as seen in this iPhone photo taken at 1915 MST:

1917 MST: sunset.

Mounted the iPhone 8 Plus on the 2" 30mm eyepiece using the Phone Skope adapter. Began lunar imaging using the iOS app NightCap Camera.

Waxing Gibbous Moon (afocal 81X, ISO 22, 1/1500sec)


Northern Region with Crater Plato (afocal 325X, ISO 22, 1/50sec)


Crater Copernicus (afocal 325X, ISO 22, 1/125sec)


Southern Region with Crater Clavius (afocal 325X, ISO 22, 1/180sec)

1931 MST: ended lunar imaging.

Did some lunar observing, 325X and 102X.

1938 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Monday, 13 May 2019, 1947 MST Temperature: 74°F

Session Length: 1h 30m Conditions: Partly cloudy

As I left the observatory I saw this owl on the house roof. Due to the low light condition the focal length 300mm D850 DSLR handheld photo was taken at ISO 25600, 1/8sec.

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